Carbid-feeding mechanism for gas-generators.



W. E. DRESSEL.

CARBID FEEDING MECHANISM FOR GAS GENERATORS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY8,19I5.

1,21 8,844. Patented Mar. 13, 1917.

UniTnn STATS PATENT ornrcn.

WARREN E. DRESSEL, F EDVIABDS VILLE, ILLINOIS.

GARBID-FEEDING MECHANISM FOR GAS-GENERATORS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Rial, 13, 1917.

Original application filed February 27, 1915, Serial No. 11,012. Divided and this application filed May 8,

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, vi human E. DRESSEL,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Edwardsville, in the county of Madison and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in carbid-Feeding Mechanism for Gas-Generators, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to acetylene gas generators, and particularly to the means for feeding carbid thereto, and is a division of my application Serial No. 11,012, filed February 27, 1915, for acetylene gas generators.

The primary object of this invention is to provide simple, positively operating, and efficient means for feeding carbid to an acetylene gas generator, which is so constructed that upon a rise of the gas receiving bell of the generator to a predetermined point, the discharge of carbid to the generator will be cut off, and that upon a clownward movement of the bell, due to diminution of pressure within the bell, the carbid will be again fed to the generator, and that upon a further downward movement of the bell, due to the entire exhaustion of the carbid and the consequent lack of gas within the bell, the discharge opening of the carbid receiver will be closed until the carbid receiving chamber has been again charged and an initial actuation of the valve has been made to discharge a sufliciency of the carbid into the generating chamber to cause the bell to again rise.

My invention is illustrated in connection with the type of generator shown in my pending application before referred to,

though not necessarily limited to such use.

In the drawings: Figure 1 1s a vertical sectlonal View of a generator with which my improved carbid feed valve is used;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary section showing in section the carbid chamber and the carbid controlling means;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the carbid cona trolling feed valve;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view through the hopper shaped bottom of the carbid container and showing the feed valve in section;

Fig. 5 is a detail partial sectional view Serial No. 26,888.

showing the means whereby the valve shaft is 1il'otated upon the rise and fall of the gas be i In the drawings above referred to, I have shown only so much of an acetylene gas generator as is necessary in order to give a clear understanding of the operation of my carbid feeding mechanism, the illustration of the complete generator being given in my above referred to application.

Referring to these drawings, and particularly to Fig. 1, 2 designates the exterior tank of a container which is illustrated as cylindrical in form and closed by a top 5 having a removable closure 5. The lower end of the tank :2 is separated from the upper portion thereof by the wall 9, the vertically extending wall and the web 11, that portion of the generator below this web acting as the gas generating chamber. Disposed above the member 9 and extending down around the wall 10 is a gas receiving bell 2st which is connected by means of the flexible connection 38 to lever arm 37 pivotally connected to the wall of the chamber.

The space below the wall 9 forms a generating chamber and this generating chamber is connected to the interior of the gas bell 2d by a pipe 3. Thus gas may pass from the generating chamber into the gas bell. The gas passes from the bell 9A- to the exterior of the generator by means of a pipe 4. The exact mechanism whereby this is accomplished is fully illustrated in my application Serial No. 11,012, previously referred to.

Disposed within the tank 2 and extending up along one side thereof is a carbid receiving chamber 16, access to which may be obtained by removing the closure 23 in the upperuend of the chamber; Disposed in the lower end of the chamber is a hopper 21 having a rectangular discharge opening at its lower end, and extending downward below this discharge opening is the discharge pipe which extends into the water contained in the lower portion of the tank or container and is sealed thereby. Through this pipe carbid is discharged into the water of the generating chamber.

The passage of carbid through the pipe 20 is controlled by means of a segmental plate valve 33 which is mounted upon a shaft 34. This shaft 34 extends upward through the upper end of the chamber 16 and at its upper end has screw threaded engagement, as at 35, with a sleeve 36 pivotally mounted upon the arm 37, previously referred to. The pitch of the coacting screw threads on the sleeve and shaft is relatively rapid. It will thus be seen that a movenent of the member 36 in one direction will cause a rotation of the shaft 3% in one direction, while the reverse movement of the member 36 will cause a reverse rotation of the shaft.

The plate 33, as before remarked, is segmental or fan-shaped in form, and equidistant from the opposite ends of the plate there is formed an opening 33, preferably iectangular. The imperforate portions of the plate on each side of the opening 33 are greater in area than the dischar e opening in the bottom of the discharge hopper 21 so that this discharge opening in the hopper will be closed when the plate is at the limit of its movement in either direction. A spring i0 is connected to the plate 33, which spring urges the shaft 34: to rotate in a direction which will cause the lever 37 to lift and bring the imperforate portion 33 be neath the discharge opening in the hopper 21. This spring further acts to lift the lever 37 to its highest position when it is not draw dovv'nward by the weight of the bell.

In actual practice the length of the screw threaded member 35 is 2-; inches and the pitch of the screw is such that if the lever 37 be detached from the member 36 the member 36 will fall 1% inches in making one complete revolution. In actual practice the proportion of the lever 37 between its fulcrum and the member 36 and between the member and the free extremity of the lever 37 is as to 20.

The carbid feed above described is designed to feed carbid in lumps or particles approximately one-fourth of an inch long by one-tw lfth of an inch, and the opening is sulliciently large so that before the plate has moved to the point of again closing the opening from the hopper 21 enough carbid will pass through the opening as will cause a sutlicient rise of the bell to permit the plate 33 to turn, under the action of the spring 40, to a position where the opening from the hopper will again be closed. it is to be understood that when the gas bell is up the chain is slack as illustrated in Fig. 1. When the gas bell, however, drops to a point about six inches from its lowest possible position the chain 38 becomes taut and the continued downward movement of the bell 2e pulls downward on the lever 37 causing the segmental valve plate 33 to shift to a. position wherein the opening 0-3 will be disposed below the hopper 21. Carbid will then be discharged into the generating chamber and the bell will immediately commence to use When the bell Q-l again rises to a point about six inches above its lowest possible position the chain 38 will become slack and the spring e0 will then act to reversely move the shaft 3%, rotating the screw 35 and raising the member 36 as the bell rises, thus cutting off the discharge of carbid to the generating chamber. \Vhen the member 36 has risen to the upper end of the screw 35 the lever 3'? will not move upward any farther, the rotation of the shaft 34 being stopped by the engagement of the valve 33 with the wall of the chamber, but the gas bell '24: may continue on upward if the discharge has been suflicient to generate arelatively large quantity of gas. lVhile the pitch of the thread on the screw 35 is sufficiently rapid to cause a movement of the segmental valve which will carry the opening 33 beneath the discharge opening in the hopper 21 upon a relatively slight downward movement of the bell, yet the pitch of the screw is not so rapid but that the action of the spring 40 will cause a rotation of the screw and the lifting of the member 36 when the weight of the gas bell is relieved by the accumulation of gas therebeneath. In actual practice, the opening 33 of the plate 33 will normally never be more than in half register with the opening from the hopper so that a slight rise of the bell will immediately permit the morement of the plate 33 to again close the opening from the hopper. The threads on the member 35 are so pitched as to cause a relatively slow movement of the plate 33 and the relative length of lever 37 on each side of its point of connection to the shaft 3 f is such that a very slight movement of the outer end of the lever, as for instance a movement of two inches, will be sufficient to cause a suliicient rotation of the shaft 34 as to shift the plate 33 from one limit of its movement to the other limit thereof, this plate being limited in its movement by contact with the wall of the chamber 16. While this machine will not make much gas at time, it will make often and this provides for a cool and dry gas.

The object of having the opening 34: disposed in the middle of the plate 33 and providing the imperforate portions 33 and 33 on each side of the opening is to cause the discharge opening of the hopper 21 to be closed when the gas bell has sunk to its lowest position. This will occur when the carbid has been all exhausted from the carbid receptacle 16 and it is necessary to recharge the receptacle. Under these circumstances the gas bell will be fully down. The connection 33 will have been drawn taut and the lever 37 will be pulled down to its full extent. As a consequence the portion 3 of the valve plate 33 will be beneath the opening of the hopper 21. This discharge opening will be entirely closed and thus no carbid can pass out of the receptacle 16 while the receptacle is beingcharged. Upon charging the receptacle the closure 5 is removed and the chain 38 is disconnected from the lever 37. The spring to will then rotate the valve plate 33 to carry the imperforate portion 33 beneath the discharge opening in the hopper, this rotation of the plate of course rotating the shaft 3% and through the screw threaded portion 35 ra1sing the lever 37. The closure 23 is then removed and carbid filled into the receptacle 16. The closure 23 is again applied. After the closure 23 has been put in place the lever 37 is momentarily depressed by hand to allow a small charge to be admitted to the generating chamber. The gas evolved by this small charge will cause the bell to rise and the chain 38 may be again connected to the lever 37 and the mechanism will take care of itself, as previously explained. The bell as will rise according to the amount of gas evolved, and the chain will slacken of course as the bell rises. The upward movement of the bell 24 therefore beyond a predetermined point will not affect the lever 37. As the gas is exhausted, however, the bell 2st will fall until a point is reached when the chain 38 will become taut whereby the lever 37 will be drawn downward to an extent sufficient to bring the opening 33 partly in register with the opening in the bottom of the hopper 21 and enough carbid will pass as to again cause the lifting of the bell.

It will be seen that the plate 33 constitutes also a safety device, as, if there was a leak in the gas line which would cause the gas to escape faster than it was formed, the bell 24: would sink to such an extent that the opening 33 would be closed and the carbid would not be wasted.

\Vhile I have illustrated certain details of my mechanism, I wish it understood that these details may be varied without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In an acetylene gas generator, a vertically movable gas bell, a carbid receptacle having at its lower end a hopper terminating in a single discharge opening, discharging directly into the generating chamber, a valve slidable across said opening and controlling the discharge of carbid therethrough, and means for automatically shifting the valve to close said opening upon the elevation of the bell beyond a predetermined point or shifting said valve to unclose the opening upon a fall of the bell below a predetermined point and shifting said valve to close the opening upon a still further lowering of the bell due to a lack of carbid in the carbid receptacle.

2. In an acetylene gas generator, a vertically movable gas bell, a vertically disposed carbid receptacle having a dischar e opening at its lower end, a rotatable valve plate, said plate having a medially disposed opening adapted to aline with the discharge opening of the carbid receptacle, the portions of the plate at each end of said opening being of suiiicient area to close the discharge opening of the carbid receptacle, a shaft upon which the valve plate is mounted, and means operatively connecting said shaft with the bell to cause a rotation of the shaft in one direction upon a lowering of the bell and a rotation of the shaft in the opposite direction upon the elevation of the bell.

3. In an acetylene gas generator, an exterior tank formed to provide a gas generating chamber at its lower end, a vertically disposed carbid receptacle mounted within the tank above the generating chamber and discharging thereinto, a vertically disposed I gas receiving bell mounted within the tank above the generating chamber and to one side of the carbid receptacle, a rotatable valve plate coacting with the discharge opening of the carbid receptacle, said plate having a medially disposed opening adapted to aline with the discharge opening of the receptacle, the portions of the plate on each side of the opening therein having an area greater than the area of the discharge opening of the receptacle,.a vertical shaft passing upward through the carbid container and upon which said valve plate is mounted, and means operatively connected to the bell and to the shaft causing the rotation of the 1 shaft in one direction upon a lowering of the bell and a rotation of the shaft in the opposite direction upon the elevation of the bell.

4. In an acetylene gas generator, a vertically movable gas bell, a-carbid receptacle 1 having a discharge opening, a valve plate movable across said opening and having an opening therein adapted to aline with the discharge opening of the carbid receptacle,

the portions on said plate on each side of the carbid receptacle being imperforate and equal in area with the opening of the receptacle, means operatively connected to the bell for causing a rotation of the shaft in one direction upon a depression of the bell,

and a spring urging a rotation of the shaft in a reverse direction.

5. In an acetylene gas generator, a tank formed to provide a gas generating chamber at its lower end, a vertically disposed carbid receptacle mounted within the tank above the generating chamber and dis charging thereinto, a vertically disposed gas receiving bell mounted within the tank above the generating chamber, means forconducting gas from the generating chamber into said gas bell, a rotatable valve coacting with the discharge opening of the carbid receptacle, said valve having a medially dis posed opening adapted to aline with the discharge opening of the receptacle, the portions of the plate on each side of the opening having an area greater than the area of the discharge opening of the receptacle, a vertical shaft passing upward through the carbid container and operatively connected to the valve to cause its operation When the shaft is rotated, a lever pivotally mounted at one end, a normally slack flexible connec- 10 tion between the end of the lever and the gas bell, a screw threadeo member mounted 11 3011 the shaft and a eke mounted u 301'] the lever and having pro ect1ng portions engaging said screw threaded member whereby the shaft will be rotated upon a vertical 15 movement of the lever.

In testimony W iereof I hereunto aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses. lVARREN E. DRESSEL.

Vitnesses:

HAROLD B. SANDERS,

A. T. lVoLr.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of JEatents,

Washington, D. G. 

